DMPS will again offer breakfast and lunch over the summer months to children 18 and younger. The number of sites has grown, and so have the number of meals served. Last summer, DMPS staff fed children 28,722 breakfasts and 79,698 lunches. DMPS has sponsored a summer meal program for more than 30 years. Click on the headline for more information and a list of sites.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited McCombs Middle School Thursday evening, helping out with the school’s Boys & Girls Club dinner program and highlighting the USDA’s efforts to address childhood hunger and access to nutrition. Click the headline to read more about his visit and see photos on the DMPS Flickr page.

In spite of the debate about when the school year should start, at DMPS we wonder: when does it end? That’s because activities take place at our schools nearly every day of the year. Click on the image to visit our Summer Programs web page to learn more about our summer offerings, from Metro Kids to meal programs to new sports camps.

McCombs Middle School students received hands-on learning at nearly a dozen science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. Presentations at the 2nd Annual STEM Career Day ranged from biodiesel to dietetics to microbiology. STEM is a big focus in Des Moines Public Schools as career fields expand. To see photos of the event, click on the image.

Starting this week, middle and high school students will be asked to review one new menu item each month. It’s a new program the Central Nutrition Center hopes will engage students in a discussion about nutrition and taste. To see photos of February’s featured item and learn how to give your feedback, click on the image.

Wednesday, February 4 from 3:00 – 6:45 PM Thursday, February 5 from 3:00 – 6:45 PM

Parent-Teacher Conferences are being held on February 4th and 5th from 3:15 to 7:00 PM.